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Devils hang on despite Phoenix fightback

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A tremendous third period fightback almost saw Manchester Phoenix force a draw from a game that had looked lost before the midway point.

Trailing 4-0 to Cardiff through goals from Paul Sample, two, Nathan Rempel and Max Birbraer, the injury-hit Phoenix rolled up their sleeves and shook the Welsh side with the tenacity of the recovery.

Phoenix went into the game missing defenceman Radoslav Hecl and forward Ales Parez and lost the services of Adam Radmall for a ten-minute spell in the second period. An even first period saw the home side take the advantage in the 15th minute when Sample bagged his first marker from close range. In the second session, the Devils turned up the heat and scored twice in a 30-second spell through Rempel and then a Birbraer shot that escaped the catching glove of Phoenix goalie Jason Wolfe and dropped over his shoulder into the net. And when Sample tapped home his second in the 25th minute, a convincing home victory looked a foregone conclusion.

Phoenix player coach Tony Hand used his timeout to steady the ship and Phoenix gradually began to claw their way back into the game. David Vychodil at last got Phoenix on the scoreboard with a trademark blast from the left wing in the 35th minute and Phoenix were unlucky not to reduce the deficit further before the second interval as Simon Mangos and Brett Clouthier both saw good efforts well saved.

The second break allowed Tony Hand to marshall his depleted forces with some astute adjustment s and from the re-start, Phoenix tore into Cardiff with renewed vigour. A little over two minutes had been played when Derek Campbell stripped the puck away from a Devils player in the neutral zone to release Johan Molin and the Swedish sniper raced in to beat Osaer in the Devils net comprehensively. Phoenix were back in the game and were awarded a penalty shot shortly afterwards when Campbell was hauled down. Molin took the shot, but Osaer produced a superb glove save to deny the Swede. Phoenix didn’t let this unsettle them as they continued to pressure the home goal relentlessly. It became a one-goal game in the 54th minute as shorthanded, Mangos fed Molin and in an almost carbon copy of his first goal, the Swede beat Osaer with his 28th of the season to set up a tense finish. Phoenix thought they tied the game with less than five minutes remaining only for the referee to adjudge the Devils net was off its mooring when the puck went in. Devils survived a late Phoenix powerplay to hold on and withstand the battling effort of the short-staffed visitors.

Phoenix coach Tony Hand commented, “we weren’t at our best early on and the two quick goals really hurt us. But once we re-organised, we played some really good hockey and I thought we were very unlucky not to get a point in the end. The guys again showed great character and determination and now with only four more games away from home and fourteen at home, we’ll look to build some real momentum to take into the playoffs.”